Open cooling boxes of metallurgical furnaces, especially of blast furnaces



April 17, 1962 P, DESFOSSEZ OPEN COOLING BOXES OF METALLURGICALFURNACES, ESPECIALL OF BLAST FURNACES led v 3 F1 NO 1958 FIG-4 tat UniteThis invention relates to the cooling boxes used in metallurgicalfurnaces, especially blast furnaces.

The known means for cooling the linings of metallurgical furnacesinclude open boxes, closed boxes, boxes with detachable water-cooledparts, and cooling plates having water tubes cast therewith.

These different cooling means, when embedded in the furnace linings, allpossess disadvantages, for example rendering it necessary to installspecial connections for the supply and evacuation of the water, and itis often difiicult or even impossible to clean them in order to removematerial deposited from the water. Furthermore it is difficult or evenimpossible to see the interior of the boxes, so that damage which mayoccur therein can generally be discovered only very late, or not at all,although the failure of the cooling action or the penetration of waterinto the furnace through the lining which is to be cooled may causedamage involving repairs at very considerable expense.

In order to avoid these disadvantages it has been proposed to cause thecooling water to trickle over the external casing of the furnace, and todispose in the thickness of the furnace wall, embedded in the lining,open cooling boxes, of which the internal upper wall, visible from theexterior, forms an angle of about 20 with the horizontal. The top of theoblique upper wall of the cooling box is given a form such that it joinsthe casing of the furnace by a curvature having a radius of at least 30mm, this curvature facilitating the penetration of the trickling waterinto the cooling box.

However, it has been observed that a certain quantity of the water whichshould serve for the cooling action does not reach the inner end of thebox, because drops of water fall down from the upper wall at a certaindistance from the inner end and are consequently not used for thecooling of this end of the box.

In accordance with the invention, in order to compel the cooling waterwhich trickles over the external casing of the furnace but might notfollow the oblique upper wall of the cooling box, to pass to the innerend of the cooling box, there is mounted inside the cooling box a guideplate extending parallel or substantially parallel to the oblique upperwall of the cooling box.

The invention is hereinafter described with reference to theaccompanying drawing, which represents diagrammatically, by way ofexample, a form of embodiment of the invention. a

FIG. 1 is a vertical section along the centre line of the box.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the box, and FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof,the centre line being marked I-I.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic vertical section of part of a furnace providedwith cooling boxes according to the invention. 7

The cooling box is constituted, as shown in'FIG. 1, by a metal sheet 1of any suitable thickness. To this sheet 1, there is imparted the shapeindicated by the vertical section shown in FIG. 1; this is achieved bystamping a single sheet in a die or by welding two sheets together toproduce the desired shape. To this sheet there are secured, as bywelding, vertical sheets 2 to 6, which impart to the cooling box itsexternal shape and at the same 3,3d,% ?atentecl Apr. 17, 1962 timeconstitute, in part or entirely, cooling ribs to assist in the transferof heat. A guide sheet 7, serving to compel the drops of water from thetop of the sheet 1 to go to the inner end of the box, is secured insidethe box, for example by welding or in a removable manner by anyappropriate means. 1

Thus, in accordance with the example represented in the drawing, thisguide plate 7 can be carried by two plates 9 fixed, by any suitablemeans, for example by welding, on the bottom of the box. These plates 9are preferably spaced from the side sheets 2 of the box, as shown inFIG. 2, leaving spaces for direct access of the cooling water to theside sheets 2. The top end of the guide plate '1 preferably projects outbeyond the casing 8, the projecting part of the plate 7 being shaped soas to form a gullet or intake channel for the cooling water, alsointended to guide the cooling water towards the inner end of the box.

Any number of these cooling boxes are fixed in the casing 3 of thefurnace, for example by welding, at variable distances apart,circumferentially and/or longitudinally, so as to ensure suflicientcooling of the furnace in each particular case.

The supply of cooling water is preferably effected, as shown in FIG. 4,through one or more conduits comprising atomisation devices 11, and asuccession of gutters 12. A single conduit comprising atomisationdevices 11, or a single gutter 12, is sufiicient to supply abundantlyeight rows of the improved cooling boxes situated one below the other,even when the generation of heat is con siderable. In case of need, itis obviously possible to install a plurality of conduits comprisingatomisation dee vices 11 or a plurality of gutters 12 at differentdistances from one another, the cooling water which reaches too high atemperature being drained off through a separate gutter.

Any suitable dimensions desired may be given to the improved coolingboxes. It is of little importance whether their width exceeds theirheight or vice versa, this problem being solved, in each particularcase, only after taking into account the optimum cooling conditions.

The improved cooling box efiects a reduction of water consumption andprovides excellent cooling of the furnace lining. It possesses greatadvantages in the case of long furnace runs.

What I claim is:

1. In a furnace, in combination, a furnace side wall having an outersurface and being formed with a recess therein extending inwardly fromsaid outer surface into said wall, said recess having an outer open endat said outer surface and an inner closed end inwardly spaced therefromand a top surface extending rearwardly and downwardly inclined from saidopen to said closed end; adjustable guide plate means extending spacedfrom said top surface of said recess from said open end rearwardly anddownwardly inclined toward said closed end of said recess for guidingcooling water trickling down along said outer surface of said furnacewall and dripping downwardly from said top surface of said recess up tothe inner closed end of said recess; and mounting means for mountingsaid guide plate means in said recess movable toward and away from saidclosed end thereof.

2. In a furnace, in combination, a furnace side wall having an outersurface and being formed with a recess there-in extending inwardly fromsaid outer surface into said wall; a cooling box located in said recessand having an outer open end at said outer surface and an inner closedend inwardly spaced therefrom, a substantially horizontal bottom walland a top wall extending inclined at an acute angle to said bottom wallfrom said outer open end to said inner closed end of said box and beingconnected to said bottom wall at said inner closed end,

a said top and bottom walls having outer ends flush with said outersurface of said furnace wall; adjustable guide plate means extendingsubstantially parallel to and spaced from said top wall of said box fromsaid open toward said closed end of said box for guiding cooling watertrickling down along said outer surface of said furnace wall up anddripping from said top wall of said box to the inner closed end of saidbox; and mounting means for mounting said guide plate means in said boxmovable toward and away from said closed end thereof and comprising apair of support plates extending spaced from each other upwardly fromand substantially normal to said bottom wall of said box and beingfixedly connected along the upper edges thereof to said guide platemeans.

3. In a furnace, in combination, a furnace side wall having an outersurface and being formed with a recess therein extending inwardly fromsaid outer surface into said wall; a cooling box located in said recessand having an outer open end at said outer surface and an inner closedend inwardly spaced therefrom, a substantially horizontal bottom walland a top wall extending inclined at an acute angle to said bottom wallfrom said outer open end to said inner closed end of said box and beingconnected to said bottom wall at said inner closed end, said top andbottom walls having outer ends flush with said outer surface of saidfurnace wall; a plurality of cooling ribs fixedly connected to said topwall and extending substantially normal thereto upwardly therefrom;guide plate means extending spaced from said top wall of said box fromsaid open end rearwardly and downwardly inclined toward said closed endof said box for guiding cooling water trickling down along said outersurface of said furnace wall and dripping downwardly from said top Wallup to the inner closed end of said box; and mounting means for mountingsaid guide plate means in said box and comprising a pair of supportplates extending spaced from each other upwardly from and substantiallynormal to said bottom wall of said box and being fixedly connected alongthe upper edges thereof to said guide plate means.

4. In a furnace, in combination, an upright furnace wall having an outersurface and being formed with a plurality of recesses therein arrangedspaced from and one below the other and extending each inwardly fromsaid outer surface into said wall; a cooling box located in each of saidrecesses and having an outer open end at said outer surface and an innerclosed end inwardly spaced therefrom, a substantially horizontal bottomwall and a top wall extending inclined at an acute angle to said bottomwall and being joined thereto at said closed end of said box, said topwall having an upwardly curved outer end and blending into said outersurface of said wall and said bottom wall having an outer end flush withsaid outer surface of said furnace wall; guide plate means in each boxextending spaced from and substantially parallel to said top wallthereof from said outer toward said inner end of said box and having anupwardly curved outer end portion extending outwardly beyond said outersurface of said furnace Wall and beyond said outer end of said bottomwall; mounting means for mounting said guide plate means in said box;spray means for spraying cooling water at a portion of said outersurface of said furnace wall located above the topmost of said recesses;and a plurality of collecting means arranged between said recesses forcollecting cooling water trickling down along said outer surface of saidfurnace wall and for guiding such cooling water onto said outwardly ex-A tending end portion of said guide plate means, tively.

5. In a furnace, in combination, a furnace side wall having an outersurface and being formed with a recess therein extending inwardly fromsaid outer surface to said inner wall, said outer surface having anupwardly extending surface portion above said recess and a downwardlyextending surface portion below said recess, said recess having an outeropen end at said outer surface and an inner closed end inwardly spacedtherefrom and a top ace extending downwardly and rearwardly inclined atan acute angle to a horizontal plane from said outer open end to saidinner closed end of said recess; guide plate means extending within saidrecess downwardly and rearwardly inclined under an acute angle to ahorizontal plane from said outer open end of said recess to a point nearsaid inner closed end thereof so as to leave a passage between its innerend and said inner closed end of said recess; and a source of coolingfluid located in the region above said recess and supplying coolingfluid onto said upwardly extending surface portion of said furnace wall,whereby the thus supplied cooling fluid will flow down said upwardlyextending surface portion and into said recess, flowing in said recesspartly along said top face thereof and partly dripping from said topface onto said guide plate means, to be directed thereby to the closedrear end of said recess, where all cooling fluid will pass downwardlythrough said passage between said closed rear end of said recess andsaid guide plate means and flow out of said recess to then passdownwardly along said downwardly extending surface portion of saidfurnace wall.

6. In a furnace, in combination, a furnace side wall having an outersurface and being formed with at least one recess therein extendinginwardly from said outer surface into said wall, said recess having anouter open end at said outer surface and an inner closed end inwardlyspaced therefrom, a substantially horizontal bottom face and a top faceextending inclined at an acute angle to said bottom face from said outeropen end to said inner closed end of said recess and being connected tosaid bottom face at said inner closed end, said top and bottom faceshaving outer ends flush with said outer surface of said furnace wall;guide plate means extending spaced from said top face from said open endrearwardly and downwardly inclined toward but short of said closed endof said recess; and means for supplying cooling fluid onto said outersurface of said furnace wall above said recess, whereby the coolingfluid will flow down along said outer surface and into said recess whereit will fiow in part downwardly along said top surface and in partdripping from said top surface onto said guide plate means to flow alongthe latter to said inner closed end of said recess and from there alongsaid bottom face onto the outer surface of the furnace wall below saidrecess.

respec- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 785,634 Patterson Mar. 21, 1905 1,030,792 Roberts June 25, 19121,035,050 Rennie Aug. 6, 1912 1,288,925 Knox Dec. 24, 1918 2,006,266Dorrenhaus et al June 25, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 710,719 Germany Sept. 19,1941

